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Isakson: Time to unify behind Romney

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson on Thursday stopped just short of saying Newt Gingrich should quit the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Republican Isakson, Georgia’s junior senator, began by expressing his reluctance to “tell another politician what to do.”

But he also said it would be best if Gingrich joined other Republicans in unifying behind frontrunner Mitt Romney and that he thinks Gingrich will.

Calling himself the “last conservative standing,” Gingrich vowed to fight on after former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum bowed out on Tuesday.

But the former Georgia congressman and House speaker has won only two of dozens of primaries held so far and finished last in two of the three contests held on April 3.

But he says he'll stay in the race until Romney has the majority of convention delegates needed for the nomination. With Santorum out of the way, that prospect, already regarded as highly likely, seems almost certain.

“I have great respect for the speaker,” Isakson told reporters in Savannah.

“But, quite frankly,” he added, “ if Republicans want to win in November, every day we still have in the primary environment is one less day we have to work toward the goal we really have.

“I admire what Rick Santorum did. … He’s a class act. He ran a good campaign. I hope he’ll be a unifier for the party toward the November campaign, and I expect the speaker to do the same thing.”

Although he didn’t formally endorse Romney, Santorum said Tuesday he’ll continue to work to defeat Democratic President Barack Obama.

Without mentioning Gingrich, Republican Saxby Chambliss, Georgia’s senior senator, said on Wednesday in Marietta that it’s time for the party to close ranks behind Romney.

Isakson said he looks forward to a “very competitive” race that will be decided by people “in the middle” of the political spectrum.

He shied away from predictions except for one: “I think it’s going be the highest turnout we’ve seen in a long time, probably the highest since 1980.”